Improvement in lock-nuts



` My invention,las distinguished from those above descrihedhonsist"sinea `metal washer of `convex form,l "provided with aspringtongue, made by a longitudinal am am y anni y @frn EWfYonK, N.Y.,Ass1cNoR ro HIMSELFANDHENRY D.x BLAKE,` or SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patent No.`115,249, dated May 23, 1871.

-IMPROVEMENT IN LOCK-NUTS.f

; "I The Schedule referred to -in these Letters Patent and part o f the same.

l To all `'wim/m it` may concer-n1:` i

Be in 'known that 1, Leysen J. SMITH, of the, city, couuty' ui`d"State` `of' New York, have invented and i niadea certainnew and `useful Improvement in Washers for Nuts; and the following is hereby declared to be a full-andcorrect description of the same.

`A. Washerfor the nuts `ofscrew-bolts has heretofore y 4been madein wliich a" spring pawl Vout outand bent Hup from theinetal of the washer hasbeen u'iadeuse `of toicloclgthenut and prevent itsworking loose.

,This pawlwastconcentric with the bolt-hole, and en- Agagedwithl teeth upon the 'inner face of the nut. l

' ,.Acup-shapedi washerl has also been employed to re- 1 tain the nut in"its `proper position, but no locking def i vice wasI used `in"conneotionvwith such washer, the nut `being.prevented` from turning oniy by the spring of `the metalywasherlkeeping it tightly against the face ,ofthe nut." l; y l i i t l l p A [iat 'metal washer liasalso been used to prevent the nut turnihgfthenut being lirst screwed to place and then @held by one,` 'or more. ofl the edges of the i washer beiiigfturuedjor"bent up Vagainst-the 4side of incisioufat" the Jedge oi'f the `washer, and thisl tongue is ben't sorthat itfallows-fthecorners of the nut to pass 3x ,y over it` in tightening` up `the, nut,*`but immediately g "springsupfafter the corner of the' nut passesoff the f `tongue, andholds said, uuthy its edge resting against `one oflthefsidesofthel nut #and I bend `the outereud ofthe tonguedowuwardo that it rests against the i `article upon which the' washer placedfand is, conseqnently,1notlikelyto be caught aud broken olf by passing objects, nlor to `lose its spring, because it is supported at hothlendst Y i 1 i This washer` is especiallyintended `to be used upon thefish-platesrof' `lailroadbars, but it is Vadapted for` p ,i general use, as it lis" ,so very simple `in construction,

l cheaply, made, and is,` easily applied; and also because p the` nut can,bejremovedfwithout injury tothe washer i or nut by simplyfpressiugj the spring tongueA against fthearticleto which itfisplaced whilethe nu-t is being' l Figure isylmr` elev ation of l my improved washer withy jilun1arewei.tapeteand` Figure 2 isa section at the line :t x. a represents the pieces of wood or metal to be secured 4by the bolt b and nut c, and said bolt and nut are of the usual character and need not be further described, as they do. not require any change in their construction to adapt them tohe used witlimy\lock v ing spring washer d.

This spring-washer d is made as a section lof a cylinder, and is to be of suitable size and strength, ac-V cording to the use to' which it is to be put, land, .when used uponthe fish-'plates of railroad bars, the washer should be of such size that either the top or lower edge touched against the under sde ot'the rai1-head or against the top of the base of he railfso. as to entirely prevent the washer turningupou the bolt; but

said washer may be held by the clamping actionV of' the nut a; or, it' convenient, an edge or corner of ythe washer may he bent, so as to set over an edge orcorner upon thearticley to which it is applied. Y

.h is the locking spring tongue,'and this is formed by making af longitudinal cut in the metal of the wash-v er, extending from the side ofthe washer, so that the nut can he screwed to place, and the corners'of' the nut, as they come around in succession, press down said tongue. p

This tongue is bent, as shown in iig. 2, the same `curving upward from theend of 'thecut, so as to rise suciently above the surface of the washer and hold the'nut by the side of the tongue comingA against one of the sidesof the nut. The outer end of the tongue is bent downward, so as to rest upon theA surface of the article upon which it is placed, and support the spring tongue at -the outer end,l u

i The washer, being a segment of a cylinder, forms a reliable spring, and the tongue eiectually prevents the ,nut working loose.

Iclaim as my invention- 1. The metallic washer, made as a segment of acyll cinder, with the spring tongue upon one side thereof, to hold the nut in the manner specified.

i 2.` The spring tongue h, with the outer end turned' bacli` to takeY a bearing so as to support the tongue at both ends,l as and for the purposes specified.

Signed by me this 3d daiy of April, A. D. 1871. p p i L. J. SMITH.

Witnesses: i

` Guns ESMI'TH,

yGEo. TfPIuoKNnY. 

